Spring-latch.



1 No. 824,027. PATENTED JUNE '19 1906.

Wibnwoeo M. S. KBBLEIL' SPRING LATCH.

APPLICATION IILED MAY22, 1905.

awuewito z WMSJTM -F7 %%C To all whom it may concern;

useful Improvements latch.-

' U ITED STATES PATENT o FioE. I

MINER s. KEELER, or GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

' SPRING-LATCH. I

Be it known that I, MINER S. 'KEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Ra ids, in the county of Kent and State of 'chigan, have invented new and in Spring-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of latches which automatically catch when the door to which they are attached is closed and which are released by an inward pressure rather than by a lifting or pulling motion. Its object is to simplify and cheapen the construction of such a latch. This objeotis accomplished by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of. the latch in position in a door or drawer with the wood of the drawer shown in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the latch ona longitudinal vertical plane; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the latchcomplete. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the guide and casing for a portion of the In the drawings, A represents the door or drawer to which the latch is to be attached. Through the'wood of this drawer an ordinary round hole is bored of suitable size, and in this hole the removable latch is inserted.

B is a plate, which viewed from the inside of the door when it has been laced in position is of the form shown in F a sha e, such as to extend out beyond the roun hole bored for a latch, and it is permanently attached to the wood by screws inserted through the holes L or in any other suitable way. It also has right-angled wings extending back into the bored hole after it is attached to the'wood. These inwardly-extending wings are shown in side elevation in Fig. 2 and in top plan in Fig. 3, and they form guides or ways for the movable parts of the latch in theiro eration and also serve, in connection with the inserted pivot D, as a frame for the latch, permitting the rocking motion of thesame upon this pivot and holding the two parts of the latch from lateral displacement 'with reference to each other. i

The catch itself is indicated by the letter C, and it has a projecting point C to engage with any suitable retainer attached to the other portion of the article and in a roper position. In the form shown inthe rawings this retainer would depend from above or extend out from the side and above the catch. The catch is so shaped that when Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed May 22,1905. Serial No. 261.624.

ig. 4. It is of I designed Patented June 19, 1906.

tact with the retainer and will gradually yield until the retainer when this point will spring into locking en.- gagement with the retainer. In its inward tothe pivot D this catch, which itself is in the form of a flat thin substantially circular in form, but open at the exterior. f

E is a push-pin, which in its inner portion -is preferably in the form of a flat plate and at its extreme inner portion has a projection substantially circular in form (indicated by the letter E) and adapted to be received in 1n the rearportion of the catc -plate. This push-pin on its outer portion 1s expanded into larger form, preferably cylindrical, (shown up on its exterior surface the screw-thread J'.

F is a ca portion of t is push-pin and h'avingits interior surface screw-threaded to engage with the screw-thread J. The exterior surfacev of form.

G is a spring, form, bearing at one end against the frame or guide B and at I a shoulder or otherwise engaging with the orce the pushin outwardly, and thereby hold the point in engagement or in position to engage with the retainer.

I represents the hole bored in the Wood, as above'described. p

K is-a handle, of any suitable form, carrying at one end a, plate or casing which has an opening of the same shape asthe push-pin cap and which, therefore,will ermit this pushpin cap to movev longitudina ly in said opening, but will not permit a movement of rotation. V p I It is evident that the screw-thread connec, tion betweenthe ush-pin and its cap per-' mits the latter to e adjusted within considerable limits, so as to catch to difierent thicknesses of wood. It is also apparent that no general'shell or inclosing case is required; but the assembled latch possibleform and can be inserted in and will operate in a hole bored by; any ordinary means. The inwardly-projecting wings of the plate B serve as guides for the inner end plate, has a suitable recess in the drawlngs by 1-1,) and carries the other end bearing against,

contalnsthe essential parts in the simplest" the door is closedthecatchwill come in con-I a 7 passes the point C, 6

portion and suitably located'with reference i Y and to engage with the corresponding recess adapted to fit over the exterior 4 this cap is hexagonal or of other non-circular which may be of any suitable l ush-pin II and operating continually to I I accommodate the same of the catch, and the handle-plate serves as a guide for the outer end of the catch or push-pin, thus maintaining the parts in being-bored in the wood, the latch is insertedfrom the inside and the plate B is firmly at tached to the wood. The push-pin cap F is then adjusted, by means of its screw-threaded connection, with the push-pin until this cap projects the desired distance beyond the face of the wood. The handle, with its casingplate', is then slipped over the push-pin cap and attached to the wood in the usual manner. It is then impossible to remove this push-pin cap, since it cannot be rotated.

It Wlll be observed that the guide-plate hereinbefore described is secured at the inner part of the opening in the support and provided with parallel wings extending longitudinally with respect to said opening to receive a fiat catch having a head at its outer extremity located between the wings and eccentrically fulcrumed at its lower portion to the Wings, the upper forward portion of the head having a socket and the rear extremity provided with a hook device, all of which 00- operates with and is positively actuated by the push-pin provided with a head at its rear end loosely and directly engaging the said socket and also having adjustable means at its outer extremity and exteriorly accessible. The guide wings serve to hold the fiat catch in positive position and the eccentric position of the fulcrum for the catch engaging the wings insures a reliable operation of said catch and renders the latter quickly responsive to the actuation of the push-pin.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to have invented, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v The combination with a support having an opening therethrough, of a guide-plate secured at the inner part of said opening and provided with parallel vertically-disposed wings extending longitudinally with respect to said opening, a fiat catch having a head at its outer extremity located between the wings and eccentrically iulcrumed at its lower portion, the rear extremity of the catch being in the form of a hook with an upwardlyprojecting. catch-terminal, the upper forward portion of the head having a' circular socket therein located directly over the pivotal means for the said head, a push-pin having a circular head at its rear end loosely and directly engaging the said socket, the said push-pin having its outer extremity screwthreaded and provided with an intermediate shoulder, a spring surrounding the push-pin between the shoulder and the adjacent outer edges of the wings and operating to norn'ially force the said pin outwardly, a tubular cap adjustably applied to the outer screw-tln'eaded extremity of the push-pin, the outer surface of the cap having a polygonal contour, and a handle attached to the support and carrying a plate with an opening therein having a contour corresponding to that of the cap and through which the latter has movement, the plate forming part of the handle being held at the upper extremity of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MINER S. KEELER. Witnesses:

MARY S. TooKER, CnAs. M. WILsoN. 

